Inlay flooring and method of manufacturing same



Jan. 1932. Bl Q ROCKWELL 1,840,974.

INLAY FLOORING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME Filed Dec. 4, 1929Patented Jan. 12, 1932 BYRD c. nocxwELL, or cAMDnN, ARKANSASINLAY-FLOORING AND METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING SAME Application led December4, 1929. Serial No. 411,420.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in inlay orpattern iiooring and to a novel method of manufacturing the same.

The present invention is an improvement upon the invention disclosed inmy United States Patent No. 1,446,810, and has for its objects theprovision of a novel method whereby short lengths of stock of high gradelumber Vcan be utilized 'in the manufacture of block 1U iiooring bysawing said high grade lumber centrallyV on a plane parallel with thefaces thereof', thereby doubling theproductionand the supply of the highgrade lumber and proi Y viding core bodies for the high grade mate- 15rial for reinforcement purposes. Preferably this core body consists of along section of low grade material and the blocks are arranged thereonin a single row with the grains of the adjoining blocks running at rightangles to .20 each other to enhance'theI appearance and ornamentaleffect of the fiooring material.

Further objects of the invention are to secure a plurality of flooringblocks of high we grade lumber in a single row on a core section ofsuitable length and of inferior material, i the blocks being preferablyarranged in odd numbers so that the end blocks have their grain runningat right angles to the grain of the core section, thereby preventingshrink- /0 age of the ends of the flooring material.

Y Heretofore in laying block floor, considerable time has been spent 'inplacing individual blocks position and in the'selectio'n and matchingrofthe proper blocks. With my novelmethod a whole section of blocks is laidat one time at the factory, thereby not only facilitating theinstallation of the floor but also reducing the misaligninent of theblocks to minimum.

Furthermore, greater care can be exercised in the selection and matchingof the blocks and in the ornamental arrangement thereof during themanufacture of the sections, than on the job when individual' blocksVare laid. Also the cost of manufacture is materially reduced as, inthepresent invention, blocks do not have to'fbe cut to exact dimensionsfor assembling in the core stock as they can be re-trimmed after theassembled core stock and blocks have been re-dried to eliminate anyexcessive moisture. f

' A further object of the invention is to secure to a core stock ofinferior lumber and of suitable length a plurality of blocks of high 53grade material arranged toproduce an ornamental grain effect and havingtheir end members arranged to have the grain disposed at right angles tothe grain of the core section, whereby the ends of said core section arepro- 60 tected against shrinkage and end-cupping so that the completed'section preserves its uni-` form width throughout its entire length andremains flat. l I

With these and other objects in view, my e5 invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts,hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofa plurality of block material and a pair of core sections to which saidblock material is secured. i

Figure 2 1s a transverse cross section therethrough.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure l.

v Figure 4 is a top plan View of one of the assembled sections after theassembly shown in Figure 1 has been sawn longitudinally. f 80 Figure 5is a transverse cross section of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a similarview after the trimming operation. 8-5

Figure 7 is a similar view but showing the core section groovedlongitudinally on its underside to prevent shrinkage.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of Figure 7.

Figures 9 and 10 show modified forms of 90 grooving the underside of thecore body.

Figure 11 is a cross section through a completed floor showing a seriesof flooring members vinr transverse cross section.

Figure 1Qv isa fragmental top plan View 95 of a floor finished with myimproved flooring blocks.

' Figure 13 is a perspective detail view show# ing asingle blocksection.

In thefaforementioned Patent No. 1,446,810 100 a pair of core members ofinferior lumber vand of suitable lengths is channeled in theirlongitudinally and centrally to provide each core member with a veneerstrip of high grade lumber. This arrangement calls for high grade lumberof suitable length and does not utilize shortrsections.

ventire lengths. zare arranged on the opposite'sides of the In ythepresent invention, a method is disclosed for manufacturingflooringblocks whereby a whole row of blocks can be laid at one time on the job,thereby facilitating the work and reducing the cost thereof. Also shortsections of high grade lumber can be used in the manufacture of blockmateria-l.

Referring by numerals to the accompany ing drawings, indicates a pair ofcore members of low gradelumber and of suitable lengths. These coremembers are preferably providedat one of their edges with alongitudinally disposed shoulder or ledge 11 which projects upwardly atright angles to the face of the core member. A series of blocks 12 ofhigh grade lumber are arranged between the opposed faces of said coremembers and are secured thereto by a suitable adhesive.,. v i v.1.

In arranging said blocks in position the grain of the adjoining blocksis disposed at right angles to each other `so that no two adjacentblocks have grain .running inthe same direction. Care is also taken to'use an odd number of blocks so that the end blocks Y l2a always havetheir grain disposed transversely of the core members or at right angleto the grain thereof. This arrangement prevents shrinkage or swellingand end cupping of the core members and maintains the latter of uniformwidthv throughout their The ledges or shoulders 11 blocks and serve asguides in assembling said blocks and said core members together.

End pieces 14 of substantially the same area as the cross sectional areaof blocks 12il arel secured to the end faces 12" thereof and serve toprotect said end blocks against splitting'while working on the assembledstructure.

The blocks 12' are of sufficient' thickness so that each blocky can besawed in a plane parallel to the faces thereof Vto provide two in ishedfloor blocks.

Afterthe adhesive has set and the' parts are securely attached to eachother, said blocks arefcut as indicated byline X--X in Figure l. Thisseparates theassembly` in two sections A one of which is shown in Figure4) each section comprising one core member and the severed halves 15lof'blocks v12, Y

Each section A is now trimmed along its operations have ybeen completedthe ends of thesectionsare trimmed as indicated at Z-Z to remove saidend pieces and also to finish the ends of the core members flush withthe corresponding faces of the end blocks.

Preferably the underside of each core member or section is groovedlongitudinally as indicated in Figures 7 to 10. This grooving can bedone either before the section A is trimmed'orv after the trimmingoperation. As disclosed in Figures 7 and 8, which show the preferredform, the underside is providedv with a pair of spaced longitudinalgrooves 18 which extend inwardly against the inner faces of blocks 15.

- In the form shown in Figure 9 the underside of the core member isprovided with a single groove 19 which is of inverted V-shape in crosssection, the apex being located at or near the inner face of the blocks.

In the form shown in Figure 10, the underside of the core member isprovided with a series of inverted V-shaped grooves 2O which are not asdeep as the groove in the previous form and terminate a suitabledistance away from the blocks.

In laying the Hoor, the `finished sections A are placed on a subfloor21, with the edges spaced from each other to receive an inlay strip suchas 22. This strip may be formed of wood and provided with side portions23, preferably ofrubber. This particular strip is more fully describedand disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 361,769, filed May9,1929. Y i

As the end blocks of each section are arranged with the grain at rightangles to the grain of the core body, I provide a single blockl sectionB having a core body 24 and a block member 25. This section is adaptedto be placed between the ends of the adjacent sections A with the grainof block 25 disposed at right angles tothe grain of the end blocks ofsaid sections, thereby carrying out the grain effect of the blocks ofsections A.

The single block section may also be used where individual blocks aredesired, as when they are used over concrete or tile iioors and securedby suitable adhesive.

The construction lof individual blocks is substantiallyl the same as inthe previous forms. The blocks are built on long core bodies with thegrain of all blocks running in one direction, namely, opposite to thegrain of core members. The edges of the composite pieceare worked thesame as the core lengths of the previous form. The blocks are then cutoff and the ends grooved or worked as required.

Y curing to the opposed shouldered faces thereof by a suitable adhesivea plurality of blocks of. high grade lumber, the shoulders of said corestrips forming guides for aligning said blocks and the grain of theadjacent blocks 'running in opposite directions to each other,

y then sawing said blocks on a plane parallel to and equidistant fromsaid core strips to form two composite strips, then trimming the edgesand ends of said strips so that the outer face of said blocks are flushwith the edges vand ends of the core strip, and then finishing the facesof said blocks.

2. TheV method of manufacturing vblock flooring material consisting informing a pair of core members vof low grade lumber, each of which isprovided on its face and along one edge with an outwardly projectinglongitudinal shoulder, then securing by a suitable adhesive a Vpluralityof block-s of high grade lumber to the opposed faces of said coremembers, the shoulders thereof forming guides if for aligning saidblocks and the grain of the acent blocks running in opposite directions,then sawing the blocks in a plane parahel to saidcore members, therebyseparating said assembled structure into two composite Ace strips, thentrimming the edge and -ends of each strip whereby the exposed sides ofthe blocks are iush with the corresponding sides of said core member,and then forming longitudinally disposed grooves in the edges of eachstrip.

3. The method of manufacturing block fiooring material consisting insecuring by a suitable adhesive to the opposed faces ofaJ pair of coremembers of low grade lumber a plurality of blocks of high grade lumber,the

' ,grainV of said core members running longitudinally, said blocks beingarranged 'in a row longitudinally of said core members and there beingan odd number of blocks used with the grain of the adjacent blocksdisposed at right angles to each other and with the grain of the endblocks disposed at right angles to the grain of the core members,thereby preventing the shrinkage of swelling and end cupping thereof,then sawing said blocks in aplane parallel to said core members toprovide two composite strips, and then trimming the edges and ends ofsaid composite strips.

4. The method of manufacturing block flooring material consisting insecuring by a suitable adhesive to the opposed faces of a pair of coremembers of low grade lumber a plurality of blocks of high grade lumber,the grain of said core members running longitudinally, said blocks beingarranged in a row longitudinally of said core members and there being anodd number of blocks used with the grain of the adjacent blocks disposedat right angles to each other and with the grain of the end blocksdisposed at right angles to the grain of the core members, therebypreventing the shrinkage of the ends thereof, applying a strip of woodto the eX- posed side of each end block whereby said end blocks areprotected against splitting during the trimming of the edges of thecomposite strip, then sawing said blocks in a plane parallel to saidcore members to provide two composite strips, and then trimming theedges and ends of said composite strips.

5. The method of manufacturing block flooring material consisting insecuring a plurality of blocks of high grade lumber-in a longitudinalrow to the opposed faces of a pair of core strips of low grade lumber,the grain of said core members running longitudinally, the grain of theadjacent blocks being disposed at right angles to each other and thegrain of each end block being arranged at right angle to the grain ofsaid core mem-l bers, applying a strip of protective material to theexposed sides of said end blocks to protect the latter againstend-splitting during the trimming operation, then trimming thelongitudinal edges of the composite strip and forming a longitudinalgroove in each edge thereof, and then trimming the ends of the strip andremoving said protective material.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 6 day ofNovember, 1929.

BYRD C. ROCKWELL.

